Bruising battle expected in political hotspots

By Stephen Makabila

Though the race for Senate will be competitive across the country, the contest will be fierce in 10 counties. They are Kisii, Kwale, Bungoma, Kakamega, Makueni, Kitui, Nairobi, Meru, West Pokot, and Garissa.

Kisii County

Foreign Minister Sam Ongeri will face off with his Public Works counterpart Chris Obure in what will, by extension, be a contest between CORD (Obure) and Jubilee (Ongeri). The two are experienced politicians with massive resources for the duel.

Bungoma County

The contest in Bungoma will mainly be between Ford-Kenya Party Moses Wetangula and former Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi. The two have massive political experience with Wetangula being one of the three co-principals in CORD while Kituyi is a senior advisor to the Amani presidential aspirant Musalia Mudavadi.

Others in the race are nominated MP Musikari Kombo and former MP Lawrence Sifuna.

Kitui County

Water Minister Charity Ngilu and Assistant minister David Musila are in a battle royale for the Kitui Senate.

While Musila is a close ally of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Ngilu is the Jubilee coalition link in Kitui and the lower Eastern region.

Nairobi County

Margaret Wanjiru faces Gideon Mbuvi ‘Sonko’. A Wanjiru-Sonko battle for the seat will be largely a supremacy battle between CORD and Jubilee over control of city politics.

Makueni County

Mutula Kilonzo, the Education Minister and John Harun Mwau, the immediate former Kilome MP are the two forces battling for the Senate in Makueni County.

While Mutula, a lawyer, is a key Kalonzo ally by virtue of being the Wiper Democratic Movement Secretary General, Mwau has the distinction of being one of the most moneyed politicians.

Meru County

Energy Minister and APK leader Kiraitu Murungi and Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara’s contest in Meru is one worth watching.  Murungi, 61, the leader of Alliance Party of Kenya, is a reputable lawyer and long-serving Cabinet minister.  Imanyara, 59, is a human rights lawyer, journalist, and politician. He is a good orator likely to give Murungi a run for his money in the Meru contest on a CORD ticket.

Garissa County

Defence Minister Yusuf Haji, the immediate former MP for Ijara, has had a long career in the civil service, and was first elected into parliament in 1997. 

 Yusuf, believed to be a man of resources would be fighting Farah Maalim, the Deputy Speaker of the Tenth Parliament and immediate former MP for Lagdera, with two decades of experience in politics. 

West Pokot County

Samuel Poghisio, the Information minister, is allied to URP while his main competitor Prof John Lonyangapuo of Kanu is regarded as the most outstanding academician in Pokot. His attractive development record is his strength.

Kakamega County

Cyrus Jirongo of the YK-92 fame became an MP in 1997 when he won the Lugari Constituency seat. He lost the seat in 2002 but recaptured it in 2007.

He recently dropped his presidential bid to support Raila Odinga. Jirongo’s competitor, former Ikolomani MP Khalwale is a good orator, but has to reckon with the former Lugari MPs massive campaign resources.